Villages of Britain

The Five Hundred Villages That Made the Countryside

Clive Aslet

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Publishing
09 November 2010

History; British & Irish history; The countryside, country life

Villages of Britain is the history of the countryside, told through five hundred of its most noteworthy settlements. Many of Britain's villages are known for their loveliness, of course, but their role in shaping the nation over the centuries is relatively untold, drowned out by the metropolitan bias of history. A consummate storyteller, Clive Aslet deftly weaves the worlds of agriculture, politics, the arts, industry, folklore, science, ecology, fashion and religion into one irresistible volume. The Bedfordshire works that a century ago manufactured half a billion bricks a year; the Cheshire municipality striving to become the country's first carbon-neutral community; the Derbyshire estate where the cottages represent the gamut of European architecture; the Gloucestershire community founded by Tolstoyans, who still live by anarchic principles; the Leicestershire town where pub walls are embedded with Jurassic-era fossils; the Morayshire settlement where Hogmanay is celebrated eleven days late; the Pembrokeshire fishing hamlet that inspired Dylan Thomas; the Somerset village that was built on the back of the trade in Peruvian bird droppings; the Suffolk village that is rejecting modernity by reconstructing a windmill for grinding flour; the Surrey woodland that fosters Europe's most ancient trees - all these are places that have made a unique contribution to the narrative of this country. Follow Clive Aslet in visiting all five hundred villages, and you will have experienced the history of these islands from a uniquely rural perspective.

By: Clive Aslet
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9780747588726
ISBN 10: 0747588724
Pages: 672
Publication Date: 09 November 2010
Recommended Age: From
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Author Website: http://www.bloomsbury.com/Authors/details.aspx?tpid=2637

Clive Aslet joined Country Life in 1977, and is now Editor at Large. He writes extensively for national newspapers, and often broadcasts on radio and television. His most recent books were the highly acclaimed Landmarks of Britain and The English House. An authority on British life, Clive is well known as a campaigner on countryside and other issues. Married with three children, he divides his time between London and Ramsgate.

Reviews for Villages of Britain: The Five Hundred Villages That Made the Countryside

PRAISE FOR LANDMARKS OF BRITAIN: 'Charming, erudite, amusing... His energy, enthusiasm and learning, always lightly worn, are prodigious' David Dimbleby, The Spectator 'A brilliant, far-ranging enterprise... literally a monumental work: all those who care about history in the first place should acquire it' Antonia Fraser, Sunday Times PRAISE FOR THE ENGLISH HOUSE: 'Informative and entertaining, effortlessly conjuring up the houses of the past, and the lives of those who lived in them... a thorough treat' Jenny Uglow, Guardian 'Beautifully written and fascinating' Adam Nicolson, Mail on Sunday